Rewind
by canwenotlogan
Summary: "The song was right; she was never going to be able to get back to the world she knew. She'd lost those twenty years of her life and she wasn't going to get them back. Her old life was long gone." One mission. One chance. One team. Who's up for an adventure?
1. It's Time

**I'M BACK! With a brand new, original story. (If anyone was wondering, I've changed my pen-name and it was previously PerfectPiranha) It's a write and post type thing so, essentially, updates depend on you (the reader) and your responses as I go. Any questions or concerns along the way, feel free to review or message me. I'm totally accessible. **

**I was planning on posting this first chapter tomorrow but I wasn't busy today so I thought '****_hell, why not?_****'**

**Anyways, make sure to let me know what you think and things that you find interesting/boring etc. Ily guys :)**

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"_Access granted._" a computer automated voice droned as a woman swiped her pass against the security check-in. The lights on the side of the security machine changed to green, indicating that the access had indeed been granted. "_Have a nice day."_

Security check-in was always a nuisance, but it was necessary. It kept the wrong sorts of people out. This seemed to puzzle the woman though, as she wondered why anyone would ever want to investigate the abandoned farm building that she worked in. Yet even though the old farm building looked broken and abandoned from the outside, it was far from it. The interior of the building was sleek and modern, technologically programmed and well-known to the people who worked there as the best building in the business. The farm building also looked relatively small compared to what was inside. The structure went down to the underground, and what looked like a two-story farm-house was actually a twelve-story head-quarter.

Clutching her fingers tightly onto her backpack, the woman strode towards the elevators. She stepped confidently into the square metal contraption and tried her best to ignore the other people in it. She was never one for small talk and she certainly wasn't one for socializing. socializing with people was degrading, especially when those people had a lower IQ. People were a nuisance, like most other things in the world.

However, it was important to keep a civil and respectful relationship with those that she worked closest with (those with higher IQs such as her own). After seeing one of her colleagues, she smiled politely. "Morning Agent Bolton."

"Good morning Agent Knight." The man replied good-naturedly. This was just a normal day at the office for them, nothing out of the ordinary. And although their jobs took them to strange and far-out places to do strange and far-out things, they wouldn't give it up for the world.

"_Level 7 approaching." _The automated voice droned again.

Several people stepped briskly out of the elevator. None of them said a word as they left; obviously not having enough courage to speak to the people they'd left behind. It was a shame, really, that none of them said anything to Agent Knight as they'd never have noticed the nervous undertone to her voice otherwise.

"_Going down._"

This was perhaps the dreariest part of her day. Well, apart from briefing, although that only occurred once a week. During the briefing meetings, she'd have to see everyone else and listen to them go on and on about their own idiotic mistakes.

"_Level 8 approaching._" The computerized voice announced. The doors of the elevator slid open as more people began to pile out.

Once the doors closed and they were officially alone, Agent Bolton turned to her and whispered, "Nervous about today's meeting?"

It had been announced the day before that there would be a briefing – a very important briefing – and that each and every one of them should prepare themselves for something big. There were rumors flying about; some people had suggested that the director was retiring whilst others thought that the corporation was being closed down. Of course, Agent Knight knew that this was childlike speculation and that neither of those prospects seemed remotely true.

"_Going down._"

"On the contrary Carl," she stated with her ever-famous poker face, "I couldn't care less."

But Agent Knight obviously did care, more than she'd like to let on .Those who truly knew her the most (aka no-one) wouldn't have been able to miss the chipped and bitten nails that she was sporting today, although they were hidden by the fact that her hands were balled into fists. And one couldn't help but notice as she gulped audibly, dreading the decision the director could have determined.

"You know," Bolton began again, "You don't have to put up this barrier around me. I'm pretty sure there're some feelings inside there somewhere."

"_Level 11 approaching._"

"We're professionals Agent Bolton, we aren't meant to feel emotion."

The doors slid open for the third time in their short journey and they both stepped out onto the 11th floor. The pair walked briskly along the corridors, not whispering another word between them. There was a cannon of calls saying "Morning Agent Knight" and "Agent Bolton, nice to see you." Eventually, the pair made it to the meeting room where the briefing was to be held.

Agent Knight checked her watch. **6:44 AM**. Just in time.

Bolton and Knight entered the drawing room to see everybody else already seated. Along the left were Agent Koshkov, Agent Thomas and the new rookie, Agent Marvolo. Seated on the right was Agent Sperling and either side of him were the two empty seats.

"Ah, nice of you to join us, Bolton, Knight, have a seat." The director smiled from the head of the table. The two sat down, both of them cautious about the fact that the director was smiling_. _Maybe it _was_ his last day.

And then his face dropped.

"Now that we're all here," the director started to speak, "We need to get straight down to business. I'm sorry, but there will be no weekly recap today. There is limited time for this meeting and it's important that I get this information to you. This briefing will be brief as there's only so much detail I can give you all.

The director took a dramatic pause. He glance quickly over at Agent Bolton which would've been unnoticeable to everyone had Agent Knight not been watching him intently. The director finally sighed and announced, "It's time."

"It's time for what?" Agent Knight asked under her breath but her question seemed to go unnoticed.

Strangely enough, Agent Bolton seemed to immediately realize what the director was talking about. His eyebrows shot to the heavens as if this was the last thing he'd been expecting. "I thought this wasn't going to be happening for years..."

"I'm afraid we can't put it off for any longer. The Electric Accomplice has launched another attack on the British. There were 17 electric bombings up and down the coast. It was announced this morning that Britain has gone under –"

"As in under the water?" Agent Koshkov interrupted.

"I'm afraid so." The director answered. "That's a loss of 72 million innocent people. There are now 8,540,930,000 left on this planet. We can't afford to delay this any longer; serious actions will need to take place."

"What will we do, director?" Agent Sperling asked.

"It's unavoidable now. We'll have to consider Operation Metal Rivet." A few audible gasps could be heard and a couple of protests rang out across the table. The director ignored these as he spoke again. "It's time."

Agent Koshkov spoke up again. "But those documents have been filed away, untouched, for years! No-one alive knows what is in them apart from –"

"Apart from Agent Bolton and myself, you're right. That's why I simply cannot reveal to you anymore than that."

"Sir, Operation Metal Rivet is only to be used in case of world domination or, heaven forbid, world doom. It can't be that serious, can it?" the newbie, Agent Marvolo, piped up.

It was clear to anyone who'd been working there long enough that Marvolo was obviously new. This wasn't due to that fact that his face hadn't been seen around there before because anyone could decipher that. It was more to do with the fact that he was constantly parroting all the information he'd been taught in training. Agent Knight kept quiet, but this thought couldn't help but creep into her mind. Everyone knew that Operation Metal Rivet was only to be used if either WD situations took place but it was ultimately the director who made these decisions and if he deemed it WD status then that was that, no arguments.

"Marvolo, button it." Agent Bolton ordered strictly.

"And I believe that's the end of the briefing. Your folders and assignments for this week can be found in your lockers. If there are any further questions, please ask Ms Alban who will be in my office all week. If Knight and Bolton could stay, the rest of you may go." The director requested.

The four agents filed out of the room grumbling to themselves and walking towards the lockers. Bolton and Knight remained seated, waiting for the director to speak again. Agent Knight didn't understand why she was held behind. If only Bolton and the director knew what those files contained, why did it concern her? Would she be enlightened on what was happening? Or would she be requested as an assistant for Bolton? Agent Knight hated being someone's puny assistant and playing the puppet. She was more than capable of controlling her own assignments and didn't need to be following around some hotshot under the name of Carl Bolton.

As soon as the meeting room door closed and they were alone, Bolton began to speak. "She's not ready."

"You might not think so, Bolton, but I know she is. And we can't wait any longer." The director replied calmly.

"Director, what if she messes this up? We only have one shot to get this right."

Agent Knight had a strange feeling that the two men were talking about her, although not directly to her. She wasn't used to being ignored like this and felt it degrading. All this 'she' stuff – Agent Knight was sitting right there! It was thoroughly unbecoming.

"It's now or never." The director sighed, "Knight, how old are you? Twenty-eight?"

"I'm thirty-six." She replied, rather annoyed.

The director turned back to Bolton. "We need to do this now. Twenty years is the biggest hole we can make. You can only stretch the fabric of time so much before it rips. And you know what kind of consequences that can have. She needs to do this or The EA will take over. They're not wasting time and we can't afford to do that either –"

"Hey, can someone tell me what you're rabbiting on about or did you just bring me in here for the scenery?" Agent Knight interrupted. To be quite frank, Agent Knight didn't enjoy being out of the loop. She was one of those people who liked to be in control. She wasn't a control-freak; it was more like she was afraid of hysteria.

"Ah, Agent Knight, yes. We have lots to discuss, but not here. Knight, Bolton, follow me." The director nodded as he stood from his chair at the head of the table.

The three of them left the meeting room in silence. Agent Knight found it hard to control the thoughts that had begun to seep into her mind as the director led her and Bolton back through the corridors. She finally came to the conclusion that the director was taking them to a different floor because (1) he was walking along the familiar path to the elevator and (2) he had said that they 'couldn't speak here'.

One must never doubt Agent Knight's deduction skills.

What first appeared as a normal day at the office had turned into something quite different. Knight cracked her knuckles in apprehension, preparing herself for whatever the director had to tell her. As they reached the elevator, the director stood aside for Knight and Bolton to step in first. He then entered the elevator behind them. Pressing the button for Level 12, the director sighed as the doors closed.

"You won't like this Knight; you won't like this one bit." Bolton whispered lowly into Agent Knight's ear.

"I gather that you've heard of Operation Metal Rivet?" the director asked.

Knight nodded.

"Well, have you ever had a guess at what it could be?"

Knight shook her head.

"Operation Metal Rivet is an anagram." Bolton told her, as if it was completely obvious.

"What those files really contain, is the information for Operation Time Travel." The director told her. Before Agent Knight could protest against or even question that last sentence, the director continued by saying. "Welcome to Level 12."

Neither Agent Bolton nor Agent Knight had ever been down to Level 12. The employees on Level 11 all called the last level the 'Nerd Level'. Level 12 was filled to the brim with scientists, all in labs wearing stereotypical white lab coats and hairnets. Agent Knight enjoyed talking to people with high IQs like her own but these freaks had IQs that were too high. Knight was known for being fussy.

The doors slid open and the director carried on walking as if he'd been down those corridors a thousand times. He smiled at a couple of people as he walked past, not bothering to turn back for Bolton and Knight.

"Operation Time Travel?" Agent Knight asked in an exasperated voice. "You mean to say that the corporation as been capable of time travel for years and no-one has known about it?"

"If you need me to dumb it down for you then yes, that's exactly what I mean to say." Bolton replied with an obvious hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"I don't need you to dumb anything down for me Carl; everyone knows that I'm a better agent than you." Knight retorted.

"Only time will tell." He smirked.

The important man (who was dressed in a smart suit), the suave spy (decked out in black skinny jeans and a grey polo shirt) and the young woman (fully clad in slim black leather pants and a white tight-fitting vest wearing a sour expression), turned left and continued walking until the old man said, "Ah, here we are."

The director clicked the handle of the wooden door at the end of the corridor. It slowly pushed itself open. It was revealed that inside there was a laboratory – it was the kind of laboratory that every young budding doctor could only dream to have one day. Peering around, Agent Knight could tell that this place was well cleaned and organized. Labelled bottles, files and boxes lined the shelves of three of the four walls in the room. The fourth wall hung a huge whiteboard that was slightly discolored due to frequent use. The center of the room held a lab table with various tools and utensils and off to the side of the room was a desk with a computer on it. Needless to say, both Knight and Bolton were quite impressed.

Standing at the head of the huge table was one of the lab geeks themselves. Agent Knight could tell he was a relatively young one, around his early twenties, but he was also clearly intelligent far beyond his years.

"Hortense, meet Agent Knight and Agent Bolton. Knight, Bolton, this is Hortense Mitchell."

Hortense nervously twiddled his thumbs before extending his arm out and shaking both Knight's and Bolton's hands. He then stepped back away from them, as if he thought they would kill him for making one wrong move. He seemed anxious about something. He began to speak, "Hello Agent B-Bolton, Agent Knight-t... I h-have heard an awful l-l-lot about you b-both. Welcome to m-my lab... Well, it's n-not really my lab b-because it belongs t-to the corporation so it t-t-technically doesn't belong to me. I mean... bleep blap bloop."

The director chuckled, "You know, Hortense, you sound just like your father."

This seemed to encourage Hortense to beam and stick out his chest a bit with pride. He flashed a dimpled smile before silently indicating for Knight and Bolton to follow him. He walked over to his computer and began talking as he typed. No-one could help but notice that his stutter had now mysteriously disappeared. "Operation Metal Rivet's data files are stored in this computer. Obviously, the originals are still locked in the safe but I thought I should make some back-up copies. I've been looking at my father's previous work and I think I've finally cracked it, I really do. It's been an honor to step into my father's footsteps and even greater one to have fulfilled his life's work. I think it's safe to say, sir, that Operation Metal Rivet is ready. It's time."

It was like every word of what Hortense had said just flew right over Agent Knight's head. Very little managed to get passed her, but she had no understanding of anything revolving around this operation. She needed some answers.

As if the director could read her mind, he said, "Hortense's father, Dr Hortense Mitchell, was one of the greatest scientists the corporation has ever had. Of course, young Hortense here is named after him. His father wasn't really known for being Hortense though – have you ever heard of Dr Logan?"

"Of course, he's legendary."

"Yes, well he's the same man. Hortense here is actually Hortense Mitchell Jr. He's taken after his father with his brains too and Hortense Jr over here has recently taken over the work on Operation Metal Rivet. The Electric Scare in 2014 wiped out the first elite, as you know, which included the ever famous Dr Logan. However Hortense's mother, Agent Roberts, was on a mission at the time so lo and behold, little Hortense has been training ever since."

Hortense suddenly became uncomfortable again, as if he didn't want two random strangers knowing his entire life history. And anyway, there were tons of more important questions that Agent Knight had in mind.

"Now, I know you want answers Agent Knight. I suspect you're wondering why I even brought you here, am I correct?"

"Yes."

"Operation Metal Rivet is a project that has been a work in progress since 2003. At the time of the Electric Scare, Operation Metal Rivet was merely an idea – a theory if you like. Since then, various scientists have been working on the possibility of time travel. This time travel theory could have the potential of stopping the EA and it was one that brought us all hope after the annihilation of the first elite."

Bolton nodded as if he knew what the director was saying. Knight was still clearly lost.

"The idea of Operation Metal Rivet," the director continued, "Was that one agent, the one who had the most significant impact on the build up to the Electric Scare, would be sent back in time to prevent it. This agent, at the time, didn't know anything about the Electric Accomplice and was just as oblivious as the rest of the world. Now the EA are going to want to make sure the world knows exactly who they are. I'm afraid to say that we're looking at a WD situation. This one agent will need to go back in time to prevent this entire mess that we're in today. If they do this right, they can prevent the Electric Scare, save the first elite and stop the EA for good."

"Okay." Agent Knight nodded, trying to take it all in. "So do you need me to train them? I can sure teach them how to pack a punch. And I'm sure it'll be useful if I tell them how to kill a man with one swift move. Gets me out of trouble every time..."

"No." The director said.

Bolton smirked.

"No?"

"Agent Knight, that one agent is you."


	2. Say Goodbye To The Future

**Yay, I got some feedback on the first chapter! I'm glad that some of you like it :)**

**amy - yeah, Bolton keeps teasing but I guess that's just how they work. I didn't even realize anyone would spot that: I'm such a big Harry Potter fan so of course something had to go in. You're right, Agent Marvolo's name originates from Tom Marvolo Riddle. No connection, I just liked the name and used it. Thank you! :)**

**emily luvs btr - yeah Agent Knight is a badass alright, aha. A dark past? Hmm, I guess you're just going to have to wait and find out! Bolton as a love interest? Idk, who knows what might happen. Thanks for reviewing :)**

**kittybookworm - Thank you, I'm glad you like it :)**

**SuperSillyStories - Didn't you realize it was Katie? How many other Knight's do you know that are strong leaders and have strange mannerisms... Well, Kendall's not female so that wouldn't work. FABULOUS? I don't know about that but thank you. I'm glad you like dorky things, I thought I was the only one.**

**(Please note what happened in 2002 was a real incident and I didn't make it up, I just incorporated my characters into it.)**

**This is a write and post type thing so, essentially, updates depend on you (the reader) and your responses as I go. Any questions or concerns along the way, feel free to review or message me. I'm totally accessible. I'm going to try and update every Sunday but that depends on the kind of feedback I get and how much I get, so if you want more then you need to review! Ily guys :)**

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"You can't be serious?" Agent Knight scoffed.

"I'm always serious." The director said calmly.

"But –" Knight began.

"Your sixteen-year-old self will be waking up in precisely 54 minutes and counting. We need to do this swiftly and efficiently if this is going to work. Now, Hortense will talk you through procedures, briefing and the things you'll find useful. I need a quick word with Bolton." The director ordered.

"Follow me Miss," Hortense smiled and gestured with his arm. He led Agent Knight through a door at the back of the laboratory that she'd failed to notice before which was odd considering she was trained to notice even the smallest details.

Inside the second smaller laboratory were a series of larger and certainly more complex machines as well as a desk with a single briefcase on it. And two seats, but that's not important.

"Please, have a seat," Hortense smiled.

After they were both seated somewhat comfortably, Hortense opened the mysterious briefcase. He then picked out various files and opened them at the appropriate pages.

"I'm going to start with the basic things you'll need to know before you go back there so listen carefully. It's been twenty years since you were sixteen –"

"Thank you for reminding me," Agent Knight muttered.

"– and a lot has changed since 2013. If you're going to be sixteen again, you're going to need to play the part. Back in 2013, you were very much into the indie/rock scene and you had longer hair. Common teenage phrases were "whatever", "wtf" and "cba". Do you remember these phrases?"

"I guess," Agent Knight nodded, "I remember saying I 'shipped' people a lot."

"Well, as long as it was something you frequently said then it doesn't matter. Now, you were a big pizza fanatic back then. Remember: pizza was a dish of Italian origin consisting of a flat base of dough baked with a topping of tomato sauce and cheese, typically with added meat. You watched television programs such as Friends although that was initially from the 1990s and Supernatural... And they were only up to the iPhone 5 at that point."

Agent Knight nodded again and noted down the information in her head.

"You had a cat who I believe had the name, Pepperoni. This was no doubt due for your love of pizza. You lived with Christine and Alan, seeing that your parents were dead already. You were frequently wearing a pair of black leather –"

"Stop, wait a minute." Knight widened her eyes, trying to contemplate what she'd just heard. "Repeat what you just said."

It was like one of those old expressions, you could have cut the atmosphere with a knife. You couldn't though, obviously. The air wouldn't have been affected at all by the swiping of a blade. It's a nice metaphorical thought though. Hortense seemed oblivious to Knight's worried expression as he said, "You were frequently wearing a pair of –"

"Before. That." Knight said through gritted teeth, starting to lose her patience as she felt a certain anger bubble up inside of her.

"Oh, you lived with Christine and Alan even though you weren't related because you're parent's death happened before you were sixteen." Hortense replied matter-of-factly, as if what he had just said shouldn't have had the slightest affect on Knight's emotions.

"My. Parents. What? Christine. And. Alan. Aren't. What?" Knight asked, he chest heaving up and down with each breath. It was clear now that she was furious with the information she had just received.

This would be another moment to use a metaphorical expression: a light bulb suddenly blinked on inside Hortense's head. It didn't evidently, seeing as Hortense's head was a regular head that didn't contain a light bulb. That being said, what actually happened was that realization finally dawned on him. Suddenly, he was aware of the horrid mistake he had just made.

"Y-you didn't kn-kn-know?" Hortense questioned with wide eyes, his stutter suddenly springing back into his speech. His words came out as a kind of squeak as he muttered, "Oh d-dear."

Agent Knight stood up swiftly from her chair to end up over Hortense within a matter of seconds. After an antagonizing few moments of her intimidating him with her new height advantage (Hortense was still seated), she grabbed tightly onto his shirt collar and hoisted him from his chair. Hortense felt his feet leave the floor and the sweat leak down his face as he saw how close Knight's hands were to his neck.

"I know how to kill you in two-hundred-and-sixty-seven different ways so I suggest you start telling me everything you know before I have to pick one to use." Knight ordered menacingly, her voice low.

"Knight, put him down!" a voice commanded from behind her. After craning her neck down to see that the director had spoken and was standing there with Bolton at his side, Knight huffed loudly before dropping Hortense to the floor. "I can explain everything if you just cooperate. Now sit."

Knight sat.

"Do you really want to know?" the director asked.

Knight sighed.

Knight nodded.

"Your parents, like young Hortense's father, were great legends within the corporation; Agent Kevin Knight and Agent Jennifer Knight were two of our most reliable emissaries." The director said expressionlessly, "In 2002, when you were around five-years-old, they were sent to Moscow. We received word that the Islamist militant separatist movement in Chechnya were planning an attack. We sent your parents over to check the situation out. They were the best of the best and they would be able to easily handle it. Two day after they had arrived, Chechen gunmen and women took over a theater and held everyone inside hostage. Your parents were already ahead of the game though and were inside the theater as part of the audience, ready to defend the other hostages to death."

Bolton stared off into the distance. This was the first time he had heard of this event too. He couldn't have been much older than Knight back then and he certainly wasn't part of the corporation. He looked down at his feet, not able to bring himself to look for Knight's reaction.

"Your father was shot by one of the Chechen gunmen as he tried to stand up for a pregnant woman. After his death, the gunmen miraculously set free somewhere between 150 and 200 people, a lot of them being pregnant women and children. You're father died a hero and it is something that I will never forget."

Agent Knight felt herself smile slightly. It was horrid to think about this terrorist act that her father was somehow involved in yet she was proud of what he had done. Her heart filled with pride and she lifted her head a little. Then, as quickly as it had come, the feeling of pride left. Knight asked, "What about my mother?"

"Jennifer Knight wasn't lucky enough to be released among those others. On October 26, the Russians pumped a poisonous gas into the theater in an attempt to kill the gunmen. 40 of them died, along with 130 of the hostages. Your mother was among them. I have been told that she was equipped with a small gas mask, one of those pocket ones that have to be held in place. Your mother gave it to a six-year-old – who wasn't lucky enough to have been set free – because the girl reminded her a little of you. That girl now works for us. Maybe next time you see her, you should ask Agent Koshkov about how your mother saved her life."

Bolton, Hortense and Knight were all astounded by the director's words. They remained silent as the director strode over to the briefcase that was still lying opened on Hortense's desk. "If you're anything like you're family Knight, then you're more than capable for Operation Metal Rivet."

The director nodded in Hortense's direction, encouraging him to continue with the briefing. "Okay, Agent Kn-Knight, this here is what I like to c-call MOD. Mod was a style in the 1960s which was around 70 years ago. The style was made up of geometric patterns, like this machine."

"Yeah Einstein, we get it, but what does it actually do?" Bolton asked, clearly irritated by Hortense's droning.

"Ah, well, MOD reads the chemical patterns in your brain. Everything around you is kind of like an illusion, created by the chemical reactions and patterns inside the brain. MOD sends signals along these wires to the computer, where I can get an accurate timeline of your brain history. By deleting the information so that your brain thinks it's only been existent for so long, I can move the state of your brain today back to the time you last 'existed'. I can successfully delete twenty years of brain history, which would put your back to 2013."

"What if it doesn't work?" Bolton asked.

"It will. However, the effects of MOD are irreversible to once you're in 2013, you won't be able to come back."

"Is it painful?" Knight worriedly questioned the scientist.

"You'd be asleep when it happens so I don't think so."

"You don't think so? You don't think so. YOU DON'T THINK SO!" Knight hysterically repeated, "You don't think so... what if I die, huh? What if this magical MOD machine inflicts so much pain on my brain that I die before I can even start on the Operation?"

"Knight."

"Then we'd all be doomed! It would be WD status and we'd all die. Oh god."

"Knight."

"I don't want innocent people to die just because my stupid brain can't cope with a little pain! I mean, how do we know that I won't crumble within five seconds of getting into the machine?"

"Knight!" the director shouted, finally grasping her attention. Knight's rant came to an end as she looked across the room at the director. "You'll be fine." The director told her calmly, "I had Hortense try it on me last night and he managed to send me back an hour. One minute I'm in MOD, next minute I'm eating a bacon sandwich."

Bolton chuckled. Knight glared at him to which he abruptly stopped. Glancing over at her, Bolton sighed, "Knight, you can do this."

Agent Knight swallowed hard. Inside her head, she was contemplating on whether or not to trust Bolton. Of course, she trusted the director fully and if he said she'd be fine, then she'd be fine. But he never said it wouldn't hurt, that was Bolton and how would Bolton even known that? However, even though this negative reflection wouldn't leave her mind, Knight realized that there was one important thing that was above of all of this: she had to prevent world doom.

"Okay," she said, "What else do I need to know?"

"When this Operation was first drafted, everyone knew that there was only one person who could influence the world enough to change things and that person was you. Your parents were Kevin and Jennifer Knight so it was obvious that you had connections with people you didn't even know about. My father had been studying a particular day in your life history for so many years before he passed that he could describe every minute of that day exactly as it happened." Hortense explained.

"Good, because I remember nada of my life as a sixteen-year-old." Knight tried to joke.

Hortense ignored that as he continued. "From studying this however, he discovered one of the biggest impacts in your history..." Hortense looked from left to right almost comically as if he was going to reveal the secrets of the universe, "Alan and Christine were part of the EA."

Well, nobody had seen that coming.

"They were eager to adopt you but showed no signs of knowing who you really were which is why the corporation trusted them with you. The giveaway sign was that, when my father was studying this particular day, he noticed that Christine was constantly subconsciously rubbing a certain spot on her wrist. It was deduced that this was where her EA tattoo was and she was rubbing it to check that the make-up she had covered it up with hadn't come off. Very clever mind you, my father didn't spot it for years."

"I always knew that they were up to something. They used to just disappear at random times during the day. I guess I know now where they were going." Agent Knight concluded.

"Precisely." Hortense nodded, "You know a lot more now than when you were sixteen and you're a lot more aware about what's going on around you. You just need to remember to act sixteen, even though you're brain intellect isn't. And when you wake up in 2013, try not to freak out when you look in the mirror and see your sixteen-year-old body."

Bolton laughed.

Knight glared.

Bolton stopped.

"Agent Knight," the director began, stepping towards her, "When you arrive in 2013, you need to act as normal as possible up until the garbage truck arrives. The people in the truck actually work for the corporation. You'll need to run out to them – they'll know who you are – and they'll supply you with weapons and any information you'll need and they'll take you straight to the first elite corporation."

Hortense gestured for Agent Knight to step towards the machine. It was cylindrical and transparent, yet the wires connected to it and the machinery components surrounding it looked both complex and intimidating.

Agent Knight turned back towards the director and Bolton, feeling that it might have been the last time she'd ever see them. She hesitated before saying, "What will you do once I'm gone?"

"We won't be doing anything, Knight, because when you change the course of the past, it will affect the present and future. There's a good chance that Bolton and I might not be even part of the corporation."

Agent Knight found a mysterious wetness flooding into her eye sockets. It was strange; she had never felt a substantial amount of liquid in them before. That's when she realized: this was what showing emotion felt like.

"You're crying," Bolton stated, "Don't."

"Bye Carl, goodbye director." Knight nodded towards them, ignoring Bolton's comment and feeling a warm tear flow down her cheek.

Agent Knight stepped inside of the grand machine and stood perfectly still as Hortense hooked her to various wires and parts of machinery. It was an intense and nerve racking moment as she prepared herself for the unknown. Hortense had explained everything she needed to know. After a few minutes, the MOD door slammed shut. Knight wanted to ask how she would know if she got to the right day. She wanted to be told where to go, who to trust and how to complete the Operation successfully. All she really knew was that the people she thought were her parents actually weren't and that she had to trust the garbage men. It wasn't a lot to go on but it was all she had.

Waiting for sleep to creep up on her, Knight wondered whether she would actually be able to do any of the things she needed to do. How would she be able to prevent the Electric Scare? Could she really save the first elite? What about stopping the EA? Knight was sure that she wouldn't be able to do it all on her own. Maybe she wouldn't be all alone. Perhaps she'd be able to find people that would help her.

Maybe she'd find people to trust.

"Goodbye Katie." Agent Knight heard Bolton say before she slipped into a sudden sleep.


	3. This Was It

So I'm back at school now (which sucks) but I should still be able to update regularly so it's all good. My friends managed to find my fanfiction which also sucks, but I've gone into hibernation so that's all good too.

kittybookworm - You're very sweet, thank you :)

BigTimeRushSuperFan - Thanks for reviewing! :)

Science-Fantasy93 - Yeah, Katie's uncertain but it's too late now... hopefully she'll be okay. I could make her die in the machine but then there'd be no story. You're right, Katie Knight can do anything. And yeah, that was a real life event that I used with the story. And hmmm... I want this to be a Jatie story and it looks like it will be but I might change things round a bit half way through - we'll see!

SuperSillyStories - Yes, she's a charming young lady. Knowing her, she'll be sarcastic as hell.

Anyway, on with the story.

* * *

_"This world will never be what I expected_

_And if I don't belong who would've guessed it_

_I will not leave alone everything that I own_

_To make you feel like it's not too late_

_It's never too late"_

Katie Knight reached over to try and turn off her alarm. Sticking her arm out, she surprisingly hit a wall. This was odd, seeing that the alarm was usually on the right side of her bed.

_"Even if I say it'll be all right_

_Still I hear you say you want to end your life_

_Now and again we try to just stay alive_

_Maybe we'll turn it all around_

_'Cause it's not too late_

_It's never too late"_

Katie didn't remember having that song as her ringtone and she definitely didn't think she was so morbid. It wasn't even a song she recognized.

_"No one will ever see this side reflected_

_And if there's something wrong who would've guessed it_

_And I have left alone everything that I own_

_To make you feel like it's not too late_

_It's never too late"_

Suddenly, Katie found herself rolling out of her bed and onto the floor as she abruptly realized where she was. Everything came back to her suddenly and it felt as though her brain was almost heavy, which was strange considering you can't usually feel the weight of your brain. Katie tried to remember the words Hortense, Bolton and the director had said yesterday before she realized that yesterday hadn't happened yet. The last twenty years of her life were actually the next twenty years of her life; they were nothing but a memory of the unwritten future.

_"Even if I say it'll be all right_

_Still I hear you say you want to end your life_

_Now and again we try to just stay alive_

_Maybe we'll turn it all around_

_'Cause it's not too late_

_It's never too late"_

Groaning, Katie lifted herself off the floor just as the door opened to reveal a perky and smiling Christine. Katie blinked. The first thought that crossed her mind was that Christine was her mother. The second though that crossed her mind was that Christine was part of the EA. Katie's hand immediately went to her back pocket but when she found her gun missing, the third thought that entered her mind was that she need to act like her normal sixteen-year-old self.

"Morning Sweetie," Christine smiled, "Sleep well?"

"Yeah," Katie said, remembering to talk like a teenager, "It was okay. One minute I was awake, next thing I know my alarm's going off."

_ "The world we knew won't come back_

_The time we've lost can't get back_

_The life we had won't be ours again_

_This world will never be what I expected_

_And if I don't belong"_

It was weird, but the lyrics to the song her sixteen-year-old self had chosen really seemed to fit with the current situation she was in. The song was right; she was never going to be able to get back to the world she knew. She'd lost those twenty years of her life and she wasn't going to get them back. Her old life was long gone.

"Well you must have been in quite the deep sleep," Christine chuckled, "But please turn the alarm off, it might wake your father up."

_"Even if I say it'll be all right_

_Still I hear you say you want to end your life_

_Now and again we try to just stay alive_

_Maybe we'll turn it all around_

_'Cause it's not too late_

_It's never too late"_

"Whatever," Katie grumbled realistically. She waited for Christine to leave the room before the shut the alarm off. She then stared around the room until her eyes settled on the mirror. She remembered that Hortense had told her not to be freaked out by how young she would look but it wasn't as though she'd look that different. She was sixteen, not four.

It wasn't until she was actually stood in front of the mirror that Katie gasped. Staring back at her, looking equally surprised, was a sixteen-year-old girl that Katie couldn't even recognize. Hortense was right; her hair was a lot longer. It definitely went past her boobs and was wavy. Katie was actually surprised at how much she must have changed within twenty years. She was a lot thinner, not the toned curvy look she was used to (she didn't used to be fat or overweight, but she was certainly a lot more muscular). He legs were long and her collarbones evidently visible if she slouched a little. And for some reason, Katie found herself okay with this. There was just one tiny detail about her appearance that Hortense had failed to mention.

She had acne.

Running her fingers her fingers through her hair Katie realized that she sounded like a total brat, complaining about acne. She already sounded and looked like a real teenager, which was scary seeing that she'd only been awake for five minutes.

Finally deciding that she needed to change into some clothes, Katie opened her wardrobe and was pleasantly stunned to see that her fashion taste hadn't changed that dramatically. She selected an army-green color tank top and some black skinny jeans.

She suddenly felt a small furry body press up against her left leg. She looked down to see a tabby cat purring contently as it rubbed against her. Katie deduced that this must have been her cat. Hortense had mentioned that she had a cat so it wasn't that much of a shock to her but a part of herself seemed to recognize the cat. She reached down to stroke Pepperoni.

Pepperoni managed to malt her fur all over Katie's jeans, which she then had to brush back down. There had always been that rumor that cats could tell what you were feeling and thinking. For some reason, Katie felt as though Pepperoni knew that this would be the last time they'd see each other.

Katie clambered down the staircase and strode semi-confidently into the kitchen. There she found Christine and Alan, who had probably woken up while she was changing. He took his cigar out of his mouth and smiled, "Morning Katie."

"Morning." Katie half-heartedly said as she scanned the room. Her normal sixteen-year-old self in 2013 wouldn't have noticed small piece of tape on the edge of the table that led to the underneath. But she wasn't her normal sixteen-year-old self; she was a thirty-six-year-old woman that happened to be in her teenage body. Katie didn't even need to wonder what that tape was doing there or (more importantly) what it was holding in place. If Christine and Alan really were members of the EA, then it was with no doubt that those tapes were holding in place two guns.

Gulping audibly, Katie's eyes found themselves drawn to the notice board above the fridge. There was nothing interesting on there. Then she saw a small piece of paper that consisted of a timetable. Peering a little closer, she realized it was a timetable showing when the garbage truck came to pick up the rubbish. Lo and behold, today was indeed the day – it wouldn't be much longer than five minutes.

Katie had five minutes to prepare for what could be the start of everything.

"Katie, honey, is everything okay?" Christine asked with a concerned tone. "What are you looking at?"

Jumping back in surprise, Katie realized that she must have looked quite suspicious. Peering at the garbage truck timetable wasn't a thing a normal sixteen-year-old would do. Katie coughed loudly and announced, "I need to just go and get something from my room..."

She scurried back up the staircase and entered her room, not knowing what she'd do next. Katie usually always had a plan but today she was in a completely unfamiliar environment and only had three minutes to think of a plan.

It would probably be best for her to put some things into a bag, in case she needed to make a quick getaway. Katie shoved a jacket, some shades and bottle of water into her back. She then changed her mind, taking out the bottle of water and replacing it with a coke bottle that she'd spotted on her bedside table. She put a mirror in one of the smaller compartments shoved a torch into another. The director had specifically said that the garbage men had weapons that they could provide her with, if they worked for the corporation. She could deal with that later.

Katie walked back downstairs and checked her watch as she strapped it onto her wrist: roughly one minute left to go. She placed her backpack into her hands and walked into the kitchen. "Hey Chri...Mom, I'm gonna chuck this old bag out; I don't like it anymore."

"I thought you only bought that last week?" Christine raised an eyebrow.

"Fashion trends change Mom, duh." Katie stated, trying to give as much teenage attitude as she could muster. Christine and Alan both seemed to buy it and Katie opened the front door to walk towards the bins.

On cue, the garbage truck arrived and pulled up in front of Christine and Alan's house. Slinging her backpack over her shoulder, Katie looked back at her childhood home one last time. The only thing that crossed her mind was that it was an extremely strange coincidence that Christine and Alan had the same surname as h**e**r own parents.

One of the men jumped out of the truck and gestured for Katie to turn and go around the other side of the van. Katie assumed that this was so that Christine and Alan wouldn't see anything. As they rounded the corner of the truck, they heard a sudden loud sound of a gun firing.

"Oh shit," was the only phrase the leave Katie's mouth before she found herself hiding behind the truck with the man she'd been walking with.

"Right, what's your name girl?" He asked, probably for security reasons.

"Katie Knight," she replied, and the man relaxed as he nodded. He must have had to check that it was really her.

It was at the point that a gunshot erupted from somewhere in front of the truck and it was immediately followed by another and another. There were definitely more members of the EA there than just Alan and Christine. They must have called for backup.

"Alright, here's your stuff. I managed to grab you a Bersa Thunder 380. It's small but powerful." The man told her as Katie tentatively took the gun, "And these will need to go in your bag. I've got you Taurus PT 24/7 and the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon."

Katie swiftly unzipped the bag and the guns went inside. It was a tight fit to get the M249 in but she managed it. Overhead, the sound of gunfire could still be heard and Katie had to refrain from screaming when one of the garbage men tumbled out of the passenger's side door and into the middle of the road, dead.

Grasping the Bersa Thunder 380 in her hand, Katie felt better. She liked the feeling of a gun in her hand. It made her feel protected and in control. In situations like the one she was currently in, she wasn't defenseless. People can't hurt you if you kill them first.

It had appeared that Christine and Alan were very skilled at firing their weapons. The gunfire was now deafening. The man ran back around to the front of the truck, his gun in hand. Katie watched as the man held his ground as best he could, firing round after round as the booming sound of gunfire echoed through his ears. He aimed his weapon again and fired.

Alan was shot dead.

In a fit of rage, Christine fired and managed to shoot another of the garbage men. The weapon's man looked back towards Katie and shouted "RUN!"

As she ran, Katie heard more bullets fly and then a body hit the ground. She got to the end of the street before turning back. She watched as Christine and the weapon's man stared at each other. The still silence of that moment evaporated and suddenly they were firing, dodging bullets and moving quickly.

Katie then realized that she had a perfect shot at Christine from where she was. Her hand automatically went towards her gun and she raised it painfully slowly.

Staring at her clear shot, Katie mulled over this decision. This was Christine here, the woman who had raised her for as long as she could remember which was apparently eleven years out of her sixteen. This woman had never hurt, upset or disappointed her. This woman had fed, clothed and looked after her. This woman had loved her.

Or was it all just an act? Was she really called Christine Knight? If she worked for the EA, they could have assigned her an Operation that required a name change. Perhaps Christine and Alan had been on Operation Adopt Katie and Keep Her Out Of The Way. Christine was part of the EA – she was the enemy.

Katie's finger twitched as she went to pull the trigger. She blinked three times, waiting for herself to shoot.

But she found that she just couldn't do it. She couldn't kill Christine, even if she wasn't her mother. There was still that maternal bond and Katie found that it was so strong that she couldn't break it.

And so, she ran.

She ran.

She ran.

She ran.

She ran because it was either that or die. She ran like a skilled athlete who was determined to win the race, like a lioness after her prey. She ran for her life. She ran in the direction of the corporation, hoping that it was where she thought it was. She had studied the first elite so many times before that she could pinpoint the corporation's exact location. She just had to get there.

She was running – running so fast and so hard that her thighs were aching and her lungs burning. Even though, somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that she wasn't really breathing anymore. Still, her lungs burnt and her legs ached and she ran.

She ran.

Her backpack was hitting her as it was whipped by the wind and her hair kept getting in her face as she ran. She ran down street after street, relying on her memory for directions.

Katie was sure how long she'd been running or. Five minutes? Ten? Twenty? All she knew was that she needed to run. Unexpectedly, she heard footsteps behind that were also running. They appeared to be getting louder too. Katie tried to speed up, but her legs refused to move any faster.

"There she is!" Katie heard a man's voice shout. She looked back momentarily to discover that six large men were chasing her. Normally, in these circumstances, she would've called for backup but of course, she was on her own. She was completely alone in this new world.

Katie ran across another street in an attempt to gain some ground. She had no clue where she was anymore. While she'd been trying to lose these men, she'd lost track on getting to the corporation. She turned yet another corner and paused for a second. Buildings lined the street, all tall and bright in the early morning sun as they cast shadows on the road.

She was aware that her pursuers were getting closer as she sped down the street and into an alley next to one of the tall buildings, hoping that it led to another road. Her hope was crushed when she saw that she was cut off from the other side of the alley by a wide wire fence.

Noises from her chasers could be heard and Katie began to rack her brain for an idea. She looked desperately around for a place to hide. The alley was bare except for a couple of trash bins. She ran over to them, eager at the thought that she might be able to find some room to hide in. In her excitement, she ended up knocking over one of the bins. She silently cursed her clumsiness as she heard the men coming closer. If she was her usual thirty-six-year-old, she wouldn't have made that mistake but because she wasn't used to the lanky body she was in, she was turning into a small klutz.

"Can't be too far," she heard one of them say. Katie pressed herself against the wall, hoping the shadows would conceal her. She was breathing heavily but was trying to calm herself down so that they wouldn't find her.

"Split up and check the alleys," one barked out. Katie basically stopped breathing all together. She was pretty sure that this was it: operation failed. One of the thugs walked into the alley. He was just about six feet away from her when he stopped. Katie opened her eyes again and saw him turn around, as if looking for her. He stopped for a brief moment and Katie was certain that he'd seen her. But then he continued turning. After her turned a complete three-sixty, he carried on towards the back of the alley. Katie was relieved now as he would most likely totally miss her and he would turn back around and walk right out of the alley.

But then, everything went wrong. Katie sneezed from the dust in the alley. The man spun instantly and spotted her. "She's in here!" he yelled to his companions and he started towards her.

There was only one way out now. Without hesitation, Katie sprinted towards the wire fence and climbed. She grabbed onto the damn things as though her life depended on it (which it did). As she reached the top, she saw the barbed wire stretched across the length of it. But a little pain wouldn't hurt right? It was either a couple of cuts and scrapes or death as Katie was sure that the goons behind her were carrying knives and probably guns too.

Yep, she was right: a bullet flew past her right ear. Katie quickly scrambled over the edge. At one point, she felt a piece of barbed wire piece her skin and another piece lodge itself further in her leg. But instead of crying in pain, Katie concentrated on not getting killed. After dodging about six bullets, she landed on the ground in a crouched position. Making sure her backpack was still slung over both her shoulders, she started to run again.

She ran.

She ran.

And then, she saw it. The old school building that the corporation was supposedly located in. She looked behind her to see that she was now free from her pursuers. Katie took a deep breath as she looked at the famous location. This was the first elite, the legends of her history.

This was it.


End file.
